Bigfork, Big Sky win Rodda games; Eureka no-hits Noxon

BIGFORK — The Big Sky Eagles went 2-0 at the Rodda Classic on Saturday, picking up victories over Bigfork and Flathead, but it was Bigfork coming out on top against Flathead in a tightly contested game that went down to the final innings in high school baseball.

Bigfork 8, Flathead 5

Flathead (3-7) held Bigfork (5-2) to just three hits, but the plate discipline and baserunning of the Vikings was the edge in their non-conference victory. 

Liam Rech hit a sac-fly to score Flathead’s first run in the top of the first inning. In the bottom half, Bigfork’s Rye Rodriguez and Cavin Weist reached home on wild pitches to give Bigfork a 2-1 lead. 

The Braves tied the game with two outs in the third, as Eli Coopman reached home on a double steal. Bigfork responded again in the bottom half as Mason Lewis and Grady Campbell recorded RBI smacks. 

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Wyatt Hickey worked the Braves fpr a walk and Holland Jantzen grounded into a fielders choice to give the Bigfork lead again, 6-4. 

Hunter Fann was a highlight for Flathead, going 2-for-2. 

Both teams rotated arms as the game unfolded, with Mason Lewis and Max Schara working for Bigfork.  

Flathead    101    003    0    -    5    6    2 

Bigfork    202    022    x    -    8    3    0

Mason Lewis, Max Schara (4), and Wyatt Hickey. Greyson Smith, Tyson Franchini-White (4), Eli Coopman (6), and Leum Saisbury.  

FLATHEAD — Dillon Wink 0-2, Eli Coopman 1-4, Liam Rech 0-2, Saisbury 0-4, Micah Engle 1-2, Hunter Fann 2-2, Jacobe Sullenger 1-3, Miles Arrowsmith 1-3, Fischer Lee 1-1, Wyatt Asher 0-2. 

BIGFORK — Rye Rodriguez 1-2. Cavin Weist 0-3. Schara 0-3, Hayden Meyer 0-2, Lewis 2-4. Grady Campbell 0-1, Hickey 0-2, Holland Jantzen 0-3, Ryder Hamilton 0-3. 

2B — Sullenger. RBIs — Rech, Sullenger, Arrowsmith, Schara, Lewis, Hickey, Jantzen. 

Big Sky 11, Flathead 5

The Braves found themselves in a back-and-forth matchup with Big Sky before the Eagles pulled away with five runs in the third inning.  

Flathead put up two runs in the first and three more in the second, but Big Sky answered in every inning. 

Offensively, Liam Rech was the steady presence for the Braves, going 2-for-2 with a double and driving in three runs. Fischer Lee chipped in the team’s only other hit. 

Big Sky’s (6-1) lineup made the difference with timely extra-base hits. Mathew Doty had two doubles and four RBIs, while Remington Howard added a home run and three RBIs. 

Big Sky    245    0xx    -    11    7    1 

Flathead    230    0xx    -    5    3    1

Ethan Paugh, Madden Hensel (3) and Kieran Cooney. Leum Saisbury, Liam Rech (2), Luke Driear (3), and N/A. 

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Rowan Miculka 0-1, Mathew Doty 2-2, Colter Nicolarsen 1-2, Paugh 0-1, Caleb Hood 0-0, Remington Howard 1-2, Cooney 1-3, Kade Williams 0-3, Tait Ramsay 2-2, Madden Hensel 0-1. 

FLATHEAD — Dillon Wink 0-1, Hunter Fann 0-2, Rech 2-2, Saisbury 0-0, Micah Engle 0-2, Eli Coopman 0-0, Jacobe Sullenger 0-3, Miles Arrowsmith 0-1, Fischer Lee 1-1, Jacobe Sullenger 0-3, Driear 0-1. 

2B — Doty 2, Saisbury, Rech. HR — Howard. RBIs — Doty 4, Howard 3, Rech 3, #4 2, Nicolar, Engle, Coopman. 

Big Sky 14, Bigfork 5

Bigfork jumped out to an early 3-2 lead after the first inning but couldn’t hold off an offensive surge from Big Sky. 

The Eagles broke open the second inning with a seven-run frame fueled by extra-base hits. 

Big Sky piled up 10 hits and scored in four different innings, led by a big performance from Remington Howard, who finished with two hits, four RBIs, and a home run. Tait Ramsay added two hits. 

Hayden Mayer led the way for Bigfork, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. The Vikings also had five stolen bases but Big Sky held them to four hits. 

Polson 17, Ronan 7

Cody Haggard and Liam Jackson combined for six RBIs, and Polson used a 10-run fifth inning to defeat Ronan on Saturday afternoon. 

After trailing 2-0 on an early Haggard homer to center field, Ronan’s Joseph Fulwiler knocked in a run and Baylan Hess and Denzel Baltz stole home to give the Chiefs a 3-2 advantage. 

Polson responded in the bottom half with two sacrifice flies to right field, scoring Paxson DuMont and Parker Shoemake and Polson never surrendered their lead again. 

Eureka 12, Noxon 0

EUREKA — Tyce Van Orden and Emmet McKim combined on a 5-inning no-hitter and Logan Cuffe’s two-run double highlighted a seven-run first inning for the Lions (4-2). 

Cuffe’s gapper made it 4-0; 12 Lions hit in the inning. Mason Parrish and McKim each had two hits; Van Orden, Brody Chapman, McKim and Leif Burow scored two runs each. The game ended early under the mercy rule. 

On the hill, Van Orden pitched 3 2-3 innings, allowing one walk and hitting one batter while striking out seven. Chapman got the last four outs, all by strikeout. 

Noxon fell to 0-4.